Freedom's Neverland
by ChangeInHeart
Summary: What happens when a boy with a jaded view on dreams runs into a boy who doesn't stop dreaming? Follow the adventures as this unlikely pair manage to turn an oppressed city into a troublemaker's paradise. Ch 2: North Blue!
1. Commotion at the Orphanage

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece**

Chapter 1: Commotion at the Orphanage

"Law-san, come outside, it's a lot warmer than yesterday and they found the key to the toy shed," a young girl with a singsong voice called from the library door.

"…" the black-haired teen didn't bother to look up from the half-written letter he was hunched over.

"You shouldn't shut yourself up in the library or your room all the time," the girl said kindly, coming closer. "Don't you get lonely?"

The pen stopped scratching. He looked down at her with cold grey eyes that would frighten even the bravest of adults. "Taking comfort in others is only for those who are weak."

"But what's so important that it can't wait until later—?" She hid from his icy gaze by bending down to read the paper, but never got the chance. Law snatched the letter off the table and stood at his full height causing the little girl to stumble backwards.

"Mind your own business!" He wanted to scare her, but loud ringing from the front door got both their attentions.

"Welco—Good Lord! MOTHER ADA!" One of the caretakers shrieked from the foyer. "Mother Ada, come quick!"

The both children went to the door, curious to see what the commotion was. They weren't the only ones. Almost every door on every floor in the foyer opened as children of all ages gathered to see what the yelling was about. Several caretakers came to help as three cloaked men let themselves in to the foyer. They were huddled together making it impossible to see what going on.

The foyer was situated with the front door on one side with the dining hall across the way next to the staircase. The library and the headmistress' office were on the left and the sitting room was on the right. The door to the headmistress' office opened and out stepped a stern-looking woman in a nun's dress.

One of the cloaked men stepped away from his companions and spoke in hushed tones with the woman. She glanced into small group and nodded grimly. She then turned to the library entrance and the two bystanders watching quietly.

"Aiya, I want you to run and get Dr. Sartorius. Tell him it's urgent," She said quickly.

"Yes Ma'am!" the girl ran out the door, leaving Law in the library alone.

"Law, you're to come with me," The nun beckoned to him. Law stayed where he was.

"I'm busy—"

"Whatever you're doing can wait…This cannot. Now come," she turned toward her office before walking up the stairs. "I am not through with you, Mr. Bellamy; you had better still be in that office when I come back."

Law was about to follow when someone kicked his feet out from under him.

"Better watch your step, Runt!" Bellamy cackled as Law picked himself off the ground. Law glared at him but didn't say anything as Mother Ada called again.

He trailed far behind the adults as they headed deeper into the orphanage with his hands in his pockets. Kids whispered on both sides as he passed. His interest peaked when he heard someone say that they caught a glimpse of a person in the center of the procession ahead of him. When put together with the fact that this was an orphanage and that Mother Ada sent for Dr. Sartorius, it meant that the person was a kid and he or she was injured. He closed the distance to get a better look and, as he did, he recognized the way they were going.

"Why my room?!" Mother Ada looked at him with a stern expression.

"Your room is far enough away from the rest of the orphanage, that, if and when this young one wakes up, he will be able to get the much needed rest he deserves. Also," she added in an encouraging tone, "should something go wrong in his recovery, he'd be in good hands."

Not entirely pleased with the woman's explanation, Law quietly went back to brooding. It was true that his room was somewhat separate from the main orphanage, or rather, isolated. It had nothing to do with distance; the other orphans were just too terrified to come here. This part of the orphanage was where they kept their "problem" children. As far as he knew there were only four orphans living in this hall; himself, the demented Bellamy and his partner in crime, Sarquiss, and the ever quiet Shizukana Rena. So why in the world would the adults put an injured person here and not in the hospital wing?

When they arrived at his room, Law tried to enter with the adults only to be shooed out and told to wait for Dr. Sartorius. So he resorted to listening through the door to catch a murmur of his unwelcome roommate's condition. He really didn't care what they were talking about until he heard the word "Revolutionaries". He smiled in triumph as he thought of the letter sitting in his pocket. He'd be able to give that man some information and maybe finally get off this godforsaken island. However, the smile gradually disappeared, the longer he listened and his chances of leaving went from slim to nonexistent. As always the grown-ups were careful with what they said, even in an orphanage full of "ignorant" children. The only thing he learned was that the kid in question had an unfortunate run in with the Tenryuubito.

"You know what they say about eavesdroppers," Law started when a male voice spoke up behind him. He looked around and saw Aiya and an elderly man in his sixties smiling gently at him. "Listen long enough and you'll hear something bad about yourself."

"Doctor Sartorius!" The old man grinned again before knocking on the door with a wizened hand.

The door opened to reveal the cloaked man who spoke to Mother Ada earlier. He stepped aside to let the doctor pass but grabbed Law by the scruff of his shirt and attempted to deposit him back outside. Law sent him a seething glare which he felt rather than saw the traveler return in kind.

"I'm afraid that I'm going to need the help of my apprentice," Sartorius stated and Law was allowed to stay. "Aiya-chan, I'm going to need a basin of cold water." Small padded feet sounded down the hall. "These look serious. How did this happen exactly?"

Law managed to squeeze through to finally get a good look at the other boy. Nothing prepared him for what he found. The boy was bandaged from head to toe. The little bit that Mother Ada had taken off revealed leathery skin ranging from white to burnt brown; the telltale signs of third degree burns. Blood was seeping through the bandages of his left eye.

One of the other travelers spoke up, "An explosion caused by a hand cannon three days ago. Iva-san wanted to treat him, but, because of his age, didn't think he'd survive it. We did what we could, but it might not have been enough. That's why we came here."

"I see." The old doctor set to work on removing the bandages while directing Law to pull out certain tools and medicines. Aiya came back with the water and nearly dropped it when she saw the injuries.

"It's alright, Aiya-chan," Sartorius said gently, taking the basin and patting her head reassuringly. "These wounds aren't as bad as they look. Whoever this youngster is, he was smart enough to get away from the brunt of the blast. Just a few skin grafts and a bit of burn salve and he'll be good as new," and with a sly wink toward the adults, "with a few interesting battle stories to impress the ladies."

With a sigh of relief and renewed faith in the good doctor, Aiya left the room with Mother Ada. As the door closed, Sartorius grew somber again. "However, there's no repairing the damage to his eye. His sight will be severely limited, if he'll be able to see out of that eye at all."

As the group of travelers was leaving the room, one of them, the one that tried to prevent Law from entering the room, said in firm voice, "You'll be surprised by what a person can overcome when fighting for a dream."

Law was wetting rags and preparing an anesthetic all the while trying to make sense of the conversation. Forget not knowing who this Iva woman was, nothing the stranger said made sense. There was no way of overcoming a handicap like the one this kid received. It'd be a miracle if this kid would even be able to move ever again.

As the doctor gave started his treatment, both were taken by surprise as the patient spoke softly in his sleep, "Ace…Luffy…I'll be waiting…"

Trafalgar Law looked down at him with a curious expression. At that moment, he never realized the impact that boy would have on his life.

**To be continued…**

**A/N: I've updated this chapter according to the results of my poll. Law is 14 and Sabo is 12. For those who are reading this for the first time, I originally had Law younger than Sabo but since I like being canon and voters also liked the idea I changed this to canon age. But at the end of future chapters I'll have deleted scenes where chibi-Law acted differently.**

**For those of you who have read Yonkou and Shichibukai, I apologize for not updating. I'm sorely lacking in inspiration and the laptop I was working on died.**

** But I digress, please read and review and I'll see you in chapter three.**


	2. North Blue!

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, Oda does.**

**A/N: Normally I wait till the end of the chapter to write any sort of note, however I'll let you know that the poll is closed and I thank everyone who voted. Majority voted that Law should be 14. I will update the first chapter as soon as I get the chance. And for those of you who wished that Law stayed 8, I'll show you how chibi-Law would have reacted in certain scenarios starting with this chapter.**

**Anyway on with the story…**

Ch 2: NORTH BLUE?!

The first thing he felt as he started to wake was the dull, throbbing ache on the left side of his face, followed by a chilly breeze.

"LUFFY!" Sabo shot up then grabbed the sides of his head as a wave of dizziness swept over him. That was when he felt the bandages. "Huh?" Then he remembered being blown up.

"Rest or you'll die." Sabo's attention snapped to another presence in the room. An older boy sat with his back to Sabo, busying himself with papers on a desk. He wore a black shirt and faded jeans. Tufts of unruly black hair stuck out at odd angles from underneath a spotted white hat. Light glinted off the double piercing of his left ear.

"Who're you?" Sabo was ignored. "Oi! Answer me!"

"I'm not obligated to answer." Storm grey eyes flashed in the semi darkness as the boy spoke in a soft, but condescending tone. "And don't order me around!"

Sabo instantly decided that he didn't like the guy.

Ignoring the stranger, Sabo took in his first look at his surroundings. The room itself was very plain and small. The walls were bare and the paint was peeling. The light trickling through the only window gave the room a dull greyish hue. On the opposite wall stood the black bedroom door, a plain wooden wardrobe and second bed pushed into a corner. At the foot of the bed was the desk where the other guy was sitting. He noticed that there was a second desk located at the foot of his own bed and an identical wardrobe on his left. Sabo realized that this place was some kind of institution. The only things that stood out in the uniform room were the towering bookcases crammed together in the corner by the desks like a miniature library and the long ornate sword propped against the kid's desk.

Curious, Sabo opened his mouth to ask about the sword, only to have his teeth start chattering. The wind blew against the flimsy window. He looked out and saw nothing but white. Snow?! There was so much of it! But that couldn't be right…Sure it snowed on Mt Corbo, but not this much. And, unless he was out longer than he thought, Sabo was sure it was still mid-August.

"Where am I?" He asked, momentarily forgetting his dislike for the older boy.

"Crescent Island, North Blue," answered a much older voice.

Sabo turned and as he did, he caught a fleeting glimpse of some strange look in the teen's eyes as he too looked up at the visitor standing in the doorway. He was a tall pale-skinned and bearded man with short, curly black hair and turquoise-colored eyes that reminded Sabo of the sea on a clear summer day. Underneath expensive, gold lined, purple robes he wore a white high collared shirt with a black vest, black pants and polished boots. Several rings decorated his right hand and a white gold earring hung from his left ear. Everything about this man screamed noble.

"What did I do to get a noble's attention?" Sabo automatic reaction was to sneer. "Did I take your wallet by chance? Though I don't see how I could have pulled that off; given the circumstances." He waved a heavily bandaged hand for emphasis, earning a snort from the teen in the corner.

"Young Man, you will show respect when speaking to your elders!" A severe looking woman stepped into the room. She was dressed in the billowing black and white robes of a nun. She was much shorter than the noble, but she bore her countenance with authority. "I do not tolerate such rude behavior at this orphanage!"

"It's quite alright, Reverend Mother." The noble's eyes sparkled with amusement, "I take no offense. If I could, I would like to speak with the boy in private."

The nun nodded and motioned to the other boy, "Come, Law."

Law gave Sabo a contemplating look before grabbing the sword and leaving the room. Sabo heard the nun scolding Law about carrying around the weapon as she closed the door.

"Mother Ada may act strict," the noble chuckled, "but she's a gentle soul." He turned toward the bed and found its occupant glaring at him.

"You don't care for aristocrats, do you?" Silence answered him. "I can understand that. The majority of nobility has become too blind to see past their overinflated egos. However, I am not like most nobles."

"Oh _really_?" Sabo said skeptically as the man made himself at home on the edge of his bed.

"I am Ragnar Dantez." The man started what sound to Sabo like a longwinded monologue. "The Count of Sherwood, the prefecture in which this orphanage is located. I am a man of many trades; including treason, smuggling, piracy and other dubious activities the World Government would deem punishable by death."

It took a minute to register.

"EH?! Y-You're a pirate?!" Of all the excuses he thought the count would come up with, that one caught Sabo completely off guard. And the way he said it so nonchalantly made Sabo believe there was more to the count than he let on…That could explain why the boy, Law, gave the noble such a weird look.

"Once upon a time," the count shrugged. "Perhaps at another time I'll regale you with all my adventures. The point is: I am not your enemy and the reason I stress this: your sponsor has left you in my care."

"My sponsor—?" The count put up a hand to stop Sabo from speaking.

"My time is short so let me finish before you bombard me with questions. I won't ask you to come and live with me; that'd be inconvenient for me and unfair to you." Dantez smiled at the distained look that flashed across the boy's features. "I will ask, though, that you stay within this orphanage. You'll soon find that this place is far more corrupt than your Goa Kingdom. This orphanage is one of the few sanctuaries in this country that remain untouched by the World Government…but just barely."

Sabo wasn't sure what to make of this information. Like most children, he didn't care all that much about government issues. So, most of the man's warning went over his head. When it was clear that Dantez had nothing more to say, Sabo asked, "Who's this 'sponsor' you're talking about?"

"He saved you from the explosion," Dantez explained, "which was rather extraordinary."

"Why's that?" Sabo strained to remember being saved, but all he got was a giant blank and a massive headache.

"Because I've known the man for many years, he would not risk throwing away his life's work bay saving some no name child." Sabo shot Dantez a murderous glare, which the count ignored, "So either you're a son he secretly sired; or you did or said something that impressed him."

Sabo settled back in his pillows, mulling over what the noble said. Even though he was loathe to admit it, he already knew his father. And the only other men he'd ever had prolonged contact with was Garp and members of Dadan's gang. But Garp was away on marine business during his near death experience and Sabo wasn't even sure if the mountain bandits survived the fire—_the fire_! A hazy memory of a chance meeting, insignificant at the time, came to mind. He remembered being held by the stranger as he told the man about the nobles being behind the fire and how Goa stunk more than Grey Terminal. Sabo even told him how he felt about being born a noble. He remembered passing out as the stranger said something and waking up early the next morning with his most recent bruises tended to.

"Can I meet him?" The question was so quiet; the count, who had been looking at Law's private library, almost didn't hear it.

"Now? No, he left the island as soon as he heard you'd make a full recovery." Dantez smirked as the boy slumped in disappointment. "Whether or not you meet him in the future depends upon what you do with the second chance you've been given."

There was a sharp rap on the door before it was opened by Law. "Dr Sartorius sent me here to tell you to stop badgering his patient and let him rest."

"It seems I've overstayed my welcome." The count stood and, to the other boy's distain, ruffled Sabo's hair in farewell. "Listen to Mother Ada and Dr Sartorius; you can trust at least them.

Sabo was debating with himself as the count reached the door.

"Sabo." The count turned back to the boy in the bed; his head tilted questioningly.

"You gave me your name." Sabo gave the man a toothy grin, "I never gave you mine: it's Sabo."

Ragnar Dantez smiled in return as he left, "Until next time, Sabo."

**A/N: I originally had Dragon in place of Count Ragnar Dantez but I figured it'd be more mysterious to leave Sabo's reunion with Dragon for a later date. Now, as promised here's the original version of how chibi-Law and Sabo first met. Mind you, this is was a rough draft so the grammar isn't perfect**

**Start**

**"You should rest or you'll die." Sabo's attention snapped to another presence in the room. It was a small boy in pristine white blazer and black shorts. A furry white hat with spots was dangerously close to falling over his storm cloud eyes. Tufts of unruly black hair stuck out at odd angles from underneath it. If looks were anything to go off of, Sabo would say that he wasn't much older than Luffy. However, the look in his eyes made him seem like an old soul, like Ace; a child forced to grow up before his time.**

"**Who're you?"**

"**I'm not obligated to answer the questions of an ant," the boy answered in a soft, but condescending tone. Instantly Sabo decided that he didn't like this brat.**

**Ignoring the kid, Sabo took his first look at his surroundings. The room itself was very plain and small. The walls were bare and the paint was peeling. The light trickling through the single window gave the room a dull grayish hue. There were two beds: the one he occupied was pushed under the window and the other, perpendicular to his, just opposite the door. Another door, probably the closet, stood just to his left. A small desk sat at the foot of each bed. The only thing that really stood out, other than the runt, were several shelves on the opposite wall laden with books and the long ornate box propped up beside the other bed.**

**The wind blew against the flimsy window, causing Sabo to shiver. He looked out and saw nothing but white. Snow! There was so much of it! But that couldn't be right. Sure , it snowed on Grey Terminal and Mt Corbo, but not this much. And, unless he was out longer than he thought, Sabo was certain it was still the middle of August.**

"**Where am I?" Sabo asked, momentarily forgetting his dislike for the boy.**

_**Skip ahead to where Law leaves the room**_

"**Come with me, Law. You'll have all afternoon to get to know your new roommate."**

"**I was perfectly fine on my own." The boy, Law, complained. I don't want a roommate, especially someone as savage as him."**

**Sabo glared at his back. Normally Sabo wouldn't have cared; he was used to being called much worse by the residents of Grey Terminal and Blue Jam's pirates. However when this kid said it, for some reason it irked him to no end. He seized the pillow and chucked it. It hit the younger boy square in the back and sent him face first to floor, his fuzzy hat toppling off his head**

**Law sent a seething look over his shoulder as he picked himself up. Sabo smirked in return.**

**End**

**Sabo****: Wow! Good thing you changed it. I don't think that runt would have lasted very long with me around. What a weakling!"**

**Older Law****: Shall I make you eat those words?**

**Sabo sticks out tongue****: Bleh! You'll have to catch me first."**

**Law****: "Room"**

**Me****: Woah! Boys! Save the maiming for future chapters. Anyway please read and review. **


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